Pre-Project Consulting
Over the years I have found that it is not uncommon for small-business owners to have had multiple bad experiences with web solution providers. Many of my clients have come to me frustrated with the process and the money they have spent in the past. Since my goal is to create long-term relationships I take the time to learn about their business and how their website and social media can help, not hinder their goals.
I’m always happy to help get you into the best position for engaging someone’s services – even if they aren’t mine. I can chat with you and just answer some general questions, or I can help you put together a full requirements document that you can take shopping. Contact me for more information.
Web Development
When you engage someone to do website development for you it is important to understand what your website can do for you.
For small businesses your website can also be a front office, allowing your customers to pay for services, book appointments, sign up for webinars, get updates on their orders, etc. It’s a way for you to grow your business and your market while you sleep – a 24/7 information hub about what you do.
The ads are everywhere – the “drag and drop, build your own, super easy” website creation services. They sound great, but once you get started you quickly realize they are probably only easy for people who understand how Websites are built in the first place.
They take up your valuable time with a steep learning curve and a lot of frustration. You have much better things to do than sit in front of a computer.
Be as involved as you want to be.
I’ve had clients who just said “give me a clean design and contact form” and I’ve had clients who handed me full Photoshop/Illustrator design files. I can work either way.
I don’t do “one size fits all” websites. You will have a customized look and feel as well as solutions that you need so that your website can work for you.
Reach out and let’s talk. You can also check out the list of the other services I offer.
E-commerce
It didn’t take a pandemic for e-commerce (products or services ordered using the internet via any device, regardless of the method of payment or fulfillment) to be projected to reach close to $5B this year (globally). If you have access to the internet you have probably ordered at least one thing via an e-commerce transaction.
E-commerce is not just the sale of retail goods though. It is also the digital commerce transaction between a provider and a purchaser. You offer a webinar which clients book and pay for online – voila! E-commerce!
Whether you are selling custom jewelry or offering an investing webinar it is important to give your customers a secure, engaging and easy transaction. In my over 25 years working with e-commerce solutions I have never met any business owner who regretted making an e-commerce option available to their customers.
Having goods and services available online does not mean you lose your personal touch with your customers. Personal thank you notes, follow-up phone calls, a combination of paper and digital touchpoints and more allow you to maintain your “brand” integrity.
There are a lot of options available for business owners who want to start managing transactions through their website and it can be overwhelming. Contact me and I’ll be happy to answer your questions and discuss putting together a plan.
SEO/Analytics
I don’t sell separate search engine optimization (SEO) packages because I build websites that Google likes to read. From the code deployed to the colors used everything can affect your search engine ranking. There is no one magic bullet that gets you found on searches.
Google (and Bing) will prioritize sites that have well-structured content that is useful to the person searching for it.
Is there any value in paying for keyword search results if your visitors leave right after clicking in? No. In fact you can be penalized for that. It’s call a high bounce rate.
This is why analytics are so important.
Analytics are more than just how many people visit your website. Once someone finds your site, what do they do? What pages do they visit? How long are those visits? If they click on the contact page do they actually fill out and submit the form? Are they on a phone or on a desktop or tablet? How did they get to your site?
As analytics data starts to come in for your website we are able to see trends and find ways to tweak the experience and/or the content to increase visibility and long-term engagement. In other words – maintaining a website that is useful to the users finding it and structured so that Google can index appropriately.
You will receive automated analytics reports once your site goes live.
Other Services
This not an exhaustive list, but these are the most common services and integrations I offer my clients.
- Consulting services
- Domain registration
- Website hosting
- Cross-device testing (mobile, desktop, tablet)
- Scheduling
- Zoom integration
- Logo design
- Copy editing
- Memberships
- Email addresses
- Forms
- Email marketing
- Social media
- Website maintenance
Please reach out with any questions you have about about these or anything else you may be thinking about in terms of your online presence.